Work will begin soon on safety treatments to reduce the repeated incidents of trucks striking the tram wires along Racecourse Road near Newmarket Station.
Over-height trucks regularly strike the tram wires that attach from the underside of the railway bridge across the road, causing the wires to drop down, arcing to the tram tracks and sometimes narrowly missing bike riders on the busy strategic cycling corridor.
These incidents also disrupt critical public transport services and cause significant congestion and costly repairs.
Transport Victoria is:
- relocating the over-height truck bay from one of the traffic lanes on Racecourse Road to the nearby car share parking spots
- upgrading overhead electronic signs with over-height truck detection technology to direct over-height trucks to approved routes
- restricting right-turn movements into and out from Bellair Street at Racecourse Road by installing flexible bollards
- installing 30 additional way-finding and advanced warning signs to detour over-height trucks.
The steps to make Bellair Street left turn only into and out of Racecourse Road may impact some north-south riders, but most use the parallel Eastwood Street as it connects through to Pin Oak Crescent to continue north.
Banning right turns will improve visibility for pedestrians and bike riders at the complicated intersection.
Works are expected to start this month and be completed by the end of September 2025.
There will be changed traffic conditions while works are underway, including temporary bike and traffic lane closures and reduced speed limits.
Traffic controllers will be present to direct traffic.
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